Anchorage Election Commission adopts canvass; 814 absentee/mail envelopes rejected, 450 for signature mismatches

The Anchorage Election Commission on April 23 adopted the election canvass for the April 7, 2026, municipal election and voted to reject 814 absentee or mail ballot envelopes for a range of reasons, including 450 ballots flagged for no signature match.

Chair Katie Nolan called the meeting to order at 5:09 p.m., and the commission moved to approve most reject codes on a consent agenda, holding several codes for separate discussion. Commissioners then considered pulled categories, including code W (postmarked after election day), code Z (missing voter signature), code Z1 (no signature match) and a set of 14 envelopes that appeared to show ballots signed or witnessed by other household members.

Commissioner Ralph Duwe disclosed a consulting contract with the municipality’s Department of Law and said it did not involve election matters. Clerk staff walked commissioners through the rejects worksheet and the canvass report, which the commission read into the record.

The canvass report listed the rejected envelopes and counts read aloud by staff: five duplicate; four empty ballot return envelopes or envelopes containing other materials; 19 returned without a return envelope (unable to identify the voter); three voters who failed to provide identifying information; three inactive voters; zero electronic ballots; one mutilated ballot; four instances of multiple ballots in one envelope; 26 registered outside the municipality; two not meeting certification requirements; 10 registered too late; 14 ballots received after polls closed; 197 ballots postmarked after election date; seven with no postmark and received after election date; three with unclear postmarks but USPS information indicating they were received after the election; 14 not registered; one deceased voter; 32 failed to sign the ballot return envelope; 450 with no signature match on the ballot return envelope; three with no reference signature; 14 ballots voted by someone other than the voter; one ballot cast by a person using power of attorney; and one ‘‘other.’’ Staff totaled the rejected envelopes at 814.

On specific votes, the commission unanimously approved rejecting the 197 ballots in code W (postmarked after the election date) and the 450 ballots in code Z1 (no signature match) after commissioners discussed the difficulty of signature comparisons and the cures process. Commissioners also rejected multiple individual envelopes in the category where ballots appeared to have been completed or signed by household members; the panel debated separately whether to refer particular envelopes to the prosecutor or the Anchorage Police Department for further investigation. Most motions to refer to the prosecutor failed on 2‑2 or tie votes; for a limited number of envelopes the commission directed staff to provide referral packages for further review, but the body did not pursue wholesale prosecution requests.

Commissioners praised election staff for professionalism and thoroughness. "I'm very frustrated at having to throw out any ballots," Chair Nolan said during member comments, acknowledging the tension between protecting election integrity and disenfranchising voters. Commissioners and staff repeatedly described the signature‑comparison work as ‘‘tough’’ and emphasized the role of voter education to reduce future rejects.

The commission signed the canvass report and submitted it for assembly certification. The meeting ended with public comments raising concerns that some voters with disabilities or young voters whose signatures have changed may be disproportionately affected by signature‑match rules; staff noted that ballots cured before certification were counted and that cure notices had been sent when possible. The commission adjourned by unanimous consent.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Adopt canvass report for April 7, 2026, municipal election — Outcome: adopted (unanimous). - Motion: Reject ballots in code W (postmarked after election date) — Outcome: rejected (motion passed unanimously); count read as 197. - Motion: Reject ballots in code Z (missing signature) — Outcome: rejected (motion passed); count included 32 in one read (staff provided breakdown in canvass report). - Motion: Reject ballots in code Z1 (no signature match) — Outcome: rejected (motion passed unanimously); count read as 450. - Actions on 14 envelopes in category "voted by someone other than the voter": multiple rejections; motions to refer to the prosecutor failed in most instances (division votes resulted in ties or 2–2 failures); staff directed to prepare referral materials in a limited number of cases for further review.

What happens next

The signed canvass report and the rejected‑envelope counts will be included in the memorandum to the Anchorage Assembly for certification. Any envelope that the commission directed staff to send to the prosecutor or APD will follow the routine referral process; the prosecutor’s office and police department have discretion whether to pursue criminal investigation.